Process and apparatus for mixing and burning oil



l li@ A. E.v GRANT PRocvEss AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND URNwGmLl July 17,` 11923.

Filed May 14 1920 3 Smets-Sheet l July 17,1923.

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A. E. GRAN-|- vPROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNG" OIL l i Filed May 1 4 1920 3 sh@@.-ts-=Sheet 2 mw@ ...mm

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNING OIL Filed May 14. 1920 -smots-sheet 5 Patented duly l?, i923..

. narran stares ALBERT E. GRANT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. ASSIGNOR T CALUROIL BURNER CORPORAL TION, A CORPOR'A'JZION' OF DELAVTARE.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MIXING AND BURNING OEL.

Application led -VIay 14, 1920. Serial No. 381,2911.

To ali whom t mag/"concern:

Be it known that l, ALBERT E. GRANT, a subject'ot the King of Great Britain, residel ing at New York, in the' [f York and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Processes and Apparatus for Mixing and Burning Oil, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to oil burners and particularly to a methodv and apparatus for vaporizing and burning heavy fuel oil. The chief object of the invention is to provide a process and apparatus for supplying the mixture in constant quantity and composition so that the burner flame will be steady y for a given adjustment.

A -further object of the invention is to provide apparatus Afor vaporizing the oil an mixing the oil and air that will be simple and inexpensive end easily` operated.

ln the accompanyingdrawings--illustratingT the invention n ig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view with partsin section of one specific embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View? through a portion of the yapparatus in the furnace.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2'.

Fig. et is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 and Figs. .5 and 6 are .sectional views of modified Jforms of mixing nozzles.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 a furnace F is provided with the oil burner receiving an'oil supply from a source such as the .barrel O and the water supply from the water main M.' ln

'40 order to maintain aconstant level for the oil supply to the burner a constant level tank L is providedbetween the lsource O and the burner; and to maintain a'constant pressure -.on the water supply the pressure equalizing tank P is provided between the burner and the water main M.

The constant level tank L receives its supply of oil from thev barrel O through pipe' 10.

in the torm of a siphon which may be provided with a hand pump 11 to start the flow therethrough. To stop`the flow at a certain level in tank L the barrel O is made air tight and an air supply'pipe 12 is led from the top of the barrel to the desired level l in the tank county ot' Newd phragm 28 by disks 29.

L. When the oil in tank L reaches the level 1 itwill close the pipe 12 cutting ofi the -air supply'to-the top of the oil in the barrel (l and stopping the liow through Siphon 10 so that a constant level is maintained tor the oil feed to the burner. This siphon constant level feed is particularly advantageousin avoiding the use of intermediate valves which some times become inoperative and leave passages open in a manner causing dangerous outflow ot oil.

rlhe pressure equalizing tank P comprises the tank body 21 with the reinforced concave riveted bottom 22, water outlet 23 and water intake 24. A pipe 25 leads from the water intake 24 to the regulated water intake 25 controlled by ber washer valve 26 on rod 27 suspended from the phosphor bronze diaspring 30 regulates the pressure on the upper tace of the diaphragm 28 and moves in guide cylinder 31 and is adjusted by screw wheel 32. The diaphragm 28 is held in place by the cast iron top 33 of the tank bolted by bolts 37 eol onto llange'36. 'llhe'brass casting 34 provides a seat forthe valve 26 and is held in place in the bottom ofthe tank. .ln the operation of this equalizino' tank water Hows in from the Y water main lV through intake 24 plast valve 26 and into the tank. As the Water'enters the tank it displaces part yoit" the air and creates a pressure which reacts on diaphragm 28 raising rod 27 and bringing valve 26 in contact with its seat. Sprin 30 may be adjusted to reinforce the diap ragni 28 and regulate the amount of pressure necessary to close the valve 26. The water is drawn off through pipe line 23 lowering thev pressure in tank 21 and reacting onv diaphragm 28 to release valve 26 thus allowing water to enter the tank until the pressure is again sufficient to close the valve 26. This self operating pressure equalizlng tank is.

sensitive to a few ounces of pressure and does away altogether with what is known as creeping in regulating valves which on the low side ordinarily gain about one tenth of any pressure rise on the high side.

In the apparatus of this invention the water supply is led through pipe 23 to a generator in the flame chamber 40 and there converted into steam and passed on to a'jet 60 which controls the oil supply, sucking the oil from a level 1 below the jet. By having the oil supply level constant and the pressure on the water supply constant variations .in the mixture and in the size of the flame are avoided. At a'given adjustment therefore the llame tends to remain constant and not to undergo continuous variation as has often been the case heretofore.

As a further aid to the maintenance of a steady flame the steam generator is placed in proximity to surfaces heated intensely hot by the flame and the radiation from these surfaces tends to keep a constant rate of heating of the generator with resultant uniform supply of steam. Hitherto it has been often the practice to heat the generator simply by directing the flame against it. Any reduction or deflection would then tend to build up serious variations and surges in the flame. For instance a temporary deflection of the flame by reducing the heating of the generator would in turn reduce the pressure on the flame and consequently its size, this reduction would ful'- ther lessen the heating of the generator with still-less pressure of the steam in the flame forming jet and thus serious falling ott' would develop at one moment. and be followed by an opposite extreme at the next ycausing unpleasant intermittent roaring of the burner and ineflicient heating. ln the apparatus of this invention the v'ater supply entering one end the generator 235 by pipe 23 divides into two streams through the two legs of the generator 36 and 37 and out through cross pipe 38 and piping 39 to the nozzle 60 in the lire space 40 and above the generator 35.

The steam from pipe 39 enters the space 41 of the nozzle and passes around the needle valve 42 and out through inner nozzle opening 43 as a jet at high velocity creating a partial vacuum in the second chamber 44. Also leading into chamber 44 is the oil passage 45 and the air passage 46 so that oil and air are drawn into the mixture at a rate dependent upon the adjustment ot the steam jet as determined by the setting of the needle valve 42 controlled b v handle 47 through universal joint 49. The air passage has a control 49 for its opening geared as at 50,'51 to the needle valve 42 so that as the needle valve is opened the air passage is also opened and vice versa.

The level l in the oil supply pipe 45 is considerably below the opening of this pipe into the vacuum space 44 and the oil Will normally recede to this level l Whenever the steam jet stops so that extinguishing of the flame or shutting oft of thest'eam jet automatically stops the oil supply.

The steam jet in chamber 44 draws in and mixes the oil and air in proper proportions and the combined steam oil and air jet issues from the nozzle 60 at high velocity as a combustible Haine forming mixture.

The flame from this nozzle is directed down- Ward at an angle against refractory ma' terial which is heated White hot and main tained in this condition so that any unconsumed particles of oil or carbon projected against it by the flame blast will be completely burned up and no residue Whatever will accumulate from the combustion.

ln the specific embodiment shown in the drawings this refractory material is in the form of a plate 54 supportedvin the lire pit 40 and having its edge surrounded by the channel drip pan 55 emptying` into the drain 56. The flame from nozzle (50 directed against this plate is spread and deflected around under the generator 35 above the plate and out at the sides and end. The generatortherefore is heated by radiation from the flame and from the hot refracI tory material. Small temporary fluctuations in the flame therefore do not have any effect upon the'heat applied to the generator which heat remains constant for a given adjustment of the flame and does not vary as it would if the generator were directly subjected to the flame fluctuations. This constant supply of heat to the gen erator is important in-a-ttaining uniform operation since any decrease or increase in the generator heat lowers or raises the steam pressure and in turnfurther lowers or increases the flame so that troublesome surgings tend to build up and cause irregular operation.

All of the elements of this apparatus combine together to maintain uniform conditions in the Water, so that their interaction will b'e smooth and constant and any irregularity developing at any point will not tend to be augmented but will bedamped and made ineffective to interrupt the smooth operation and constant flame.

The flame projecting nozzle in feeding the oil and air by suction to the high velocity steam jet thoroughly breaks up vand mixes the oil and air with the steam giving a uniform homogeneous mixture burning With a very hot and consta-nt colorless flame Which consumes every particle of the oil. Modified llOU oil and steam supplies n forms of nozzles are illustrated in Figs. 5

and 6, having different means for mixing the oil, air and steam. In Fig. 5 the steam pipe 6l discharges into the inner chamber 62 of sleeve nozzle 63 sliding in the cylinder nozzle 64. fl needle valve 65 has its stem 66 swiveled at 67 in the end '68 of the cylinder 64 and the needle valve stem is threaded through the end of the sleeve 63 to adjust the outflow of steam from this nozzle. The

oil supply is drawn from pipe G9 and into the chamber 70 between the cylinder and sleeve nozzles and out around the central steam jet from nozzle 63 by the ejector action of this jet. The combined oil and steam jet then ineaeea vissues into the mixing chamber 71 from nozzle 64 creating a partial vacuum therein sleeve nozzle 63 by turning stem 66 simultaneouslyV varies both the' steam and theJ oil suppliesl to control the proportion of oil vapor in the steam.

In .the modification shown in Fig. 6 the steam pipe 73 discharges into chamber 74 of nozzle 75 the outlet of which is regulated by needle valve 76. This nozzle 75 discharges the steam jet freely in the air and positioned in the path of the jet is the vacuum nozzle 77 vthrough which the supply of oil is drawn. The nozzle 77 is adjustable by having its end 78 thread onto the lower portionv 79.to provide a variable passage for the oil.

The mixtureof lair, oil and steam produced by the method of this invention gives a flameof large volume passing around the generator and extending outward and upward against the fire pit walls. The generator 35 has its passages filled with a material such as silica gravel 83 to give extending heating surface and avoid-the accumulation of a deposit by the boiling away of the water therein. This boiling and the interaction of the steam and water supply cause a constant grinding movement between the gravel particles which pulverizes any scale that tends to form and the scale powder is carried off and does not accumulate. The flame may be conveniently controlled by regulating the water supply to the generator as at 80 or by regulating the steam jet as at 47.

The refractory plate 54 may be flanged as at 81 to serve as a priming pan wherein to pour the oil which is ignited to start the burner in operation. In the combination of this invention the door D of the furnace may be closed and the air supply drawn from the ash pit below and in Fig. 5 the burner jet forming means are all enclosed within the'y air passages 7 2 Which are connected by pipe 73 to the ash pit thus iving a definite passage for the alr tothe urner which may be controlled in any suitable manner.

' While this invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof it is not confined thereto but is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim z- 1. In an oil burner a combination with a source of water supply at variable pressure, y of means for equalizing said pres-- sure and supplying water at constant pressure, a furnace, a steam generator in said furnace and receiving its water supply from said equalizing means, a. flame forming means supplied with steam fron? said generator and an oil supply for said flame forming means, comprising .means for automatically drawing oil from a container when the level of the oil in said supply is lowered below a predetermined level.

2. In an oil burner 'a 'combination with a source of water supply at variable pressure, of means for equalizing said pressure and supplying water at 'constant pressure, com. prising a pressure controlled valve, a furnace,a steam generator in said furnace and receiving its water supply from said equalizing means, a flame forming means supplied with steam from said generator and an oil supply for sald flame formlng means, comprising means 4for automatically drawing oil from a container when the level of the oil in said supply is lowered below a predetermined level.

3.` 4In an oil burner a combination with a source of water supply at variable pressure, of means for equalizing said pressure and supplying-water at constant pressure, a furnace, a steam generator in said furnace and receiving its water supply from said equalizing means, a Haine forming means sup: plied with steam from said generator and an oil supply for said flame forming means, comprising a Siphon for automatically 'drawing oil from a container when the level of the oil in said supply is lowered below a predetermned level.

4. In an oil burner a combination with a source of water supplyat variable pressure, of 'means forequalizlng said pressure and supplying water at constant pressure, comprising a pressure controlled valve, a fur-V nace,fa steam generator in said furnace and receiving its water supply from said equalizing means, a flame forming means supplied withsteam from 'said generator and an oil supply for said flame forming means, comprising a siphon for automatically drawing oil from a container when the level of the oil in said supply is lowered below a predetermined level.

. 5. In an oil burner the combination with a steam generator having a constant pres sure water supply, of a burner receiving ythe center, of a vllame forming burner receiving steam from said, generator and'mixing it with'oilv and air and directing the iame downward at an angle from above said generator, anda refractory plate supporting said. generator and receiving and spreading said flame around said generator.

7. In an oil'burner the combination with a steam generator having an open space 'at the center, of a flame forming burner receiving steam from said generator and mixing it with oil and air and directing the flame downward at an angle lrom above said generator, and a refractory plate supporting said generator and receiving and spreading said flame around said generator, said generator having projections resting on said plate and spacingl said generator therefrom.

8. In an oil burner the combination with a flame forming` means, of a steam generator supplying steam thereto and in the form of a substantially U shaped casting having` a single opening for Water supply at one end and a double outlet for steam at the other.

9. l'n tlame forming means for an oil burner the combination with a steam supply of an oil supply, means for forming said steam into a jet to spray said oil, air supply means for said jet, said air supply and oil suppl)v being on opposite sides of said jet.

10. In flame forming' means for an oil burner the. combination with a steam supply of an oil supply, means for forn'iing said steam into a jet to spray said oil, air supply means for said jet, said air supply and oil supply being on 'opposite sides ot' said jet, and a single Control means for simultaneously adjusting the steam and air supplies.

ALBERT E. GRANT. 

